Joyce Hatton serves us the next interview. We’re also getting closer to our reading tonight in NYC! Check out the organizers of FZF at Bluestockings tonight.

Joyce wearing a black hoodie and glasses posing with a cat (that has a freaked out expression).

Kindly give us a short description of yourself and the work you do.

I am a baby bird masquerading as a human…? I write illustrated zines about my process of shrugging off unhelpful social conditioning and decrypting human interactions.

How did you get introduced to zines? Were you influenced by anyone?

I don’t remember how I was introduced to zines. I was aware of them but thought they were for white punks and so I didn’t get interested in them until I made one and discovered the wider world of zines on Tumblr.

What does it mean to do “feminist zine-making”? Does feminism appear in your work (explicitly or implicitly)?

My version of “feminist zine-making” involves taking up space to communicate things that I don’t have room to talk about in other areas of my life. Zine making and reading has been been incredibly empowering for me, and has played a huge part in stabilizing my mental health.

What is your favorite zine or piece of mail art? Do you like any specific style/part of a zine?

One of my favorite zinemakers is Pardis Lili Khanmalek. Their zines are so colorful and beautiful, and full of big brown hairy women and emotion. I generally like any zine that is emotional and vulnerable. Also, Thou Shalt Not Talk About the White Boys Club- Challenging the Unwritten Rules of Punk BLEW MY GOSH DARNED MIND when I read it and helped me realize a lot of the things that made me feel so weird about punk.

If you could sum up your zinester life in a kitchen appliance, what appliance would it be?

I guess if my zinester life was a kitchen appliance it would be a spoon… pretty simple but it does the job.

Finally, who are some of the other zinesters you’re excited to see at this year’s feminist zine fest?